Hawick v Glasgow Hawks President’s Message
Last Saturday was a wonderful day to be a Robbie Dye! The victory over Currie on their home patch – the first win there for twelve years – was thoroughly deserved. The forwards were immense but each one of the boys played their hearts out for the jersey. Congratulations to Logan Gordon Wooley on his 50th appearance in the green jersey.
This afternoon we welcome President Kenny Hamilton, the Hawks team and their supporters who have travelled down today from Glasgow, the “dear green place”. Glasgow Hawks came into being with the amalgamation of Glasgow Academicals and Glasgow High Kelvinside in 1997. The city’s motto is “Let Glasgow Flourish” and the Hawks certainly did in season’s 2003/2004, 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 when they won the Premiership Division One title in three consecutive seasons.
Hawick RFC had close links with the Hawks’ founder clubs. Long before the National Leagues were conceived the Greens traditionally started their season on the September holiday weekend – a full month later than now – with a trip to Glasgow to play the Academicals and the High School. This tradition went back a long time. I had the privilege of interviewing the late Willie MacTaggart who played in the great Hawick side which won the unofficial championship in season 1926/1927. He recalled going through to Glasgow in late September.
“One of the great characters on the rugby field when I played was Johnny Blackadder. He was a great big gangling fellow. He rushed about the rugby field with his feet and arms flying in all directions. He was a great chap. When we went through to Glasgow to play our weekend’s football, a big team on the Saturday and a lesser team on the Monday, on the Monday night, without exception Johnny, having drink taken, was always carried to the train – always!. Some years later in the mill I had to go to Glasgow on business and I had a little open, two-seater car and I said to Johnny who was a commercial traveller by this time “Are you doing anything today? How do you fancy coming with me to Glasgow for company? So we went to Glasgow and I did my business and we were coming back on a beautiful evening in the open car and Johnny looked around at the sky and the sunshine and he said “Mony’s the time A’ve been ti Glesgi. This eez the first time A ever mind o leevin’t”!
This interview has been transcribed, as have other conversations with players from that golden era in our Club’s history, Willie Welsh, Robbie Knox and Cameron Keillor, and will be included in our forthcoming book “Voices of Hawick Rugby” which will be coming out in Autumn 2023 as part of the Club’s 150th anniversary celebration. We are well on the way to achieving the 150 contributions we are hoping for but it’s not too late to be a part of this. Have a word with me if you would like to be involved.
At today’s hospitality lunch it was a pleasure to welcome Gary Alexander and his wife Kirsty as a wee thank you for the “Do You Remember?” column he has contributed to add significantly to the enjoyment of our programme over many years. We are grateful that he was prepared to drag himself away from his beloved Linden for the afternoon to enable us to show our appreciation.
Back to the business of this afternoon. Both Hawick and Hawks have started this season well so this promises to be a close encounter. May the best team win. Enjoy the match
